New development: blood clots in right arm, probably from the port. Starts just below clavicle, extends into armpit and down inner arm to elbow. Arm and hand mostly purple. Limited use of hand, including typing! ARGH! So, now also taking a blood thinner called Lovenox, given by shot into the belly daily for next 6 months – you guessed it! – by me. Double ARGH! (Was a big baby about this when told. Two nurses assisted me the first time. When I said how I dread this, one nurse admitted she couldn’t give herself a shot either!)
Once-a-day, whether you want to or not
In other news: made it thru yesterday’s last chemo infusion with no incident. Well, except the port is no longer safe to use, so chemo injection was into left arm. Lots of neuropathy this morning (pins & needles numbness in fingers and along forearm) – so even my “good” hand not functioning optimally for this exercise of typing. Otherwise, all went well, with Shawn bringing an Indian grain dish called “Kitchari” for my picnic lunch, and homemade oatmeal cookies with pumpkin seeds from an Ayurvedic recipe. Very nourishing and stayed down!
And another lovely woman whom I’d not met before, Annette (went thru breast cancer treatment about six months ago) came to introduce herself and brought homemade foods she said “saved her” during treatment: broth made from beef bone and vegetables, tapioca pudding, dates, and electrolytes for drinking water. Was so moved by her generosity in preparing all this for me though she didn’t know me. We had a really nice visit, and I brought home lots of healthy food for next few days, thanks to both Annette and Shawn.
I want to celebrate this milestone of finishing the chemo infusions, but somehow seems hard to do while staring down the tunnel of another week of radiation and Xeloda (not to mention daily self-administered shots for six months). Still, I know getting past this particular hurdle is something to acknowledge and honor – so, yes, I GOT THRU IT!
Fingers too numb to type more. Love to all who are continuing to keep me in their thoughts. I’m very grateful.
A Different Wholeness 